Market Street Cooperative, San Francisco Marijuana Dispensary, Shuts Down (VIDEO)

The closing of Market Street Cooperative, one of San Francisco's oldest medical marijuana dispensaries, marks the latest casualty in the federal government's recently-reignited war on weed.

The popular pot shop shut its doors for good Tuesday evening, but not without resistance from its loyal customer base. That morning, dozens of medical marijuana advocates held a rally in front of City Hall to protest the closure, and that night, a similar group held a candlelit vigil outside the cooperative's Market Street storefront.

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Patron Michael Petrelis told ABC News he counted on Market Street Cooperative's product to help offset unpleasant side effects from his AIDS medication. "Why is the federal government saying I can't have this, but I can have a bagful of this overpriced pharmaceutical drugs?" he said. "I want both the AIDS drugs and my medical marijuana."

U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag sent a letter to the dispensary's landlord late last year warning there would be repercussions if the shop continued to sell medical cannabis. According to Haag, Market Street Cooperative operated in too close proximity to two local schools.

The state's oldest pot shop, Marin Alliance for Medical Marijuana, was forced to close last December for a similar reason.

It hasn't been an easy week for medical marijuana in San Francisco. Just two days after Market Street Cooperative's shuttering, a two-alarm fire destroyed the SOMA headquarters of Green Cross, the city's only licensed delivery service.

Take a look at the ABC News report of Market Street Cooperative's demise below:

Comments

[Tim Giangiobbe]

11:23 PM on 01/30/2012

This really irritates me. and many other citizens.These folks were straight up ethical and the only people who mad any cash was the growers for the risk and then they aren't as rich as people seem to think they are.PG and E has a major portion of indoor growing profits from power consumption being a major cost of 100 dollars a month per 1000 watt fixture at least.
Market street didn't grow.
They purchased from vendors we know we sold them outdoor grown herb in 2003 and they hardly marked it up and we (coop) didn't overcharge and the eighths were 20 bucks for outdoor train wreck and 150 an ounce for train wreck.and they had great deals on kief so what was Melinda the Haags problem ?.
Eight years later the prices were still that low..
If the issue was wear against greed it was collateral damage done to a fair player you missed the greedy ones .

[tagbakamor]

02:16 PM on 01/22/2012

I found a san francisco gay owned n licensed delivery service with awesome strains and low prices to benefit a local cancer non-profit. Davy Jones Enterprise. www.davyjonesenterprise.com

[ReelBusy]

01:39 AM on 01/20/2012

Legalizing cannabis turns a money pool controlled by cartels into taxes, jobs and revenue that benefit all citizens.

[Tasi Applebridge]

05:18 PM on 01/17/2012

http://norml.org/

Criminal marijuana prohibition is a failure. Over 20 million Americans have been arrested for marijuana offenses since 1965. NORML believes that the time has come to amend criminal prohibition and replace it with a system of legalization, taxation, regulation, and education.

[Max Shaw]

01:19 PM on 01/17/2012

sad day for sensimilia indeed...

#sayindeedforweed!

[forestnfama]

05:15 AM on 01/17/2012

Obama you either lied to us or you are so fringgin afraid someone will paint you as soft on drugs....which is it?

[Vintage59]

04:43 AM on 01/17/2012

If they are too close to schools we need to ban children. They're nothing but trouble, anyway. The price of two bedroom apartments would drop if they just weren't around any more.

[jonesengr]

09:05 AM on 01/16/2012

Last thing we need as a nation is more people high on this junk weed. Everyone knows the laws in California are for legalizing the weed and not for medical reasons. News outlets have investigated this endlessly and have shown that anyone can get weed in California.

[Sean Porter]

04:10 PM on 01/16/2012

Who's "we"?

[jonesengr]

04:19 PM on 01/16/2012

"we need as a nation" Let me guess......................

[NoElephants]

06:02 PM on 01/16/2012

Good god you are a sad sack of poor analytical thinking.

[lletaa]

11:11 AM on 01/15/2012

Never fear folks, we have over 1000 liquior stores and bars to drink in then drive home. And they close down probably something that helps curb drinking a little, go figure.

[seabreeze12]

02:01 PM on 01/14/2012

Don't vote for liar back stabbing Obama...
He is behind sending out the pig Feds and having the state DA do his dirty work.

[RMForbes]

04:16 PM on 01/14/2012

Even if that ends up with Romney winning? You do realize he would be far worse than Obama and Dr Paul doesn't have a chance to win the Republican't nomination. Not a very smart decision. If you are really concerned about ending the failed war on drugs and want to liberate cannabis, an Obama second term would be our best bet. In a second term the political blinders will come off so he will be able to do what is right not just what is possible.

[bi-poplar]

01:01 PM on 01/18/2012

So...you think one of the republicans running would do a better job? Or do you mean to vote for a Green candidate like we did in 2000, letting another republican into office? Or do you just mean to sit the election out, thereby letting another republicansinto office? Do not fool yourself. Obama is not great, but the other options are much much worse

[rodnox]

01:57 PM on 01/14/2012

Another casualty in the land of STUPIDITY-------I THINK THE HIGHER LEVEL OF GREEN HOUSE GASSES CAUSES STUPIDITY---ESPECIALLY IN USA

[NVEnvy07]

06:58 AM on 01/14/2012

I favor medical marijuana...but come on...LIFE OR DEATH??!!

[maxwelldog]

07:32 PM on 01/14/2012

well, if you are referring to the cannabinoid oils that are proving to be a cure for Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Lung Cancer, Skin Cancer, Brain Cancer, then, yes. It could be a case of life or death.
Consider this.
There are chemical compounds that they say will kill cancer cells, only the part the pharmaceutical corporations AREN'T telling you is that right now, it costs around $98000 a year and it will take several years to get to remission, if ever.
Where mice and lab animals were given incredibly small amounts of cannabinoid oil (from potent marijuana, and cured the animals. (sounds more like our government favors curing cancer in lab rats and mice more than humans, eh?)
PLUS
It helps calm tremors in MS and CP patients, and can be used in conjunction with smoking a small amount with the oil treatment to improve the memory of Alzheimer patients.

[Doug Clement]

02:19 AM on 01/14/2012

oh get a grip

[suburban lawnjockey]

06:27 AM on 01/14/2012

One day, a real rain will come and wash all the filth away, Travis.

[soldier123]

01:08 AM on 01/15/2012

You I like your post. That exactly what that city needs , a good rain storm to wash the smog and filth away. The brown smoke is real bad.
Have a great day
Chief

[lletaa]

11:07 AM on 01/15/2012

Taxi Driver

[pacorvettelover2]

12:48 AM on 01/14/2012

WTF !!!! oh shut down the legal tax paying , Job making, helping people with pain places , But yet let the illegal mexicans bring into the country , paying no taxes no jobs, And robbing & killing the people who need it ..... That's the American way these days ..... Lock up the innocent ones for smoking but yet dont protect the broaders and let these people bring it for free and make all the money and let them take it back to Mexico ........ SMART MOVE !!!!!! I am going to be smoking it if i have to get legal or illegal cause it helps me with my pain instead of taken 15 pills a day ..... How are the people letting this happend in all places San Francisco ..... There goes more tax $$$ out of you city pocket

[keezze]

11:39 PM on 01/13/2012

Shameful that they shut em down, the poor folks in pain will now suffer more, its just plain evil...I will not vote for Obama if he doesent reinstate the store...